Islam?

Islam?

from: Ole Sammy Been On Laudanum
9/17/01
10:40:08 AM
152.163.207.209

In Islam, several things are clear: Suicide is forbidden. "O ye who believe!... [do not] kill yourselves, for truly Allah has been to you Most Merciful. If any do that in rancour and injustice, soon shall We cast him into the Fire..." (Qur'an 4:29-30). The taking of life is allowed only by way of justice (i.e. the death penalty for murder), but forgiveness is better. "Nor take life - which Allah has made sacred - except for just cause..." (17:33) In pre-Islamic Arabia, retaliation and mass murder was commonplace. If someone was killed, the victim's tribe would retaliate against the murderer's entire tribe. This practice was forbidden in the Qur'an (2:178-179). Following this statement of law, the Qur'an says, "After this, whoever exceeds the limits shall be in grave chastisement" (2:178). No matter what wrong we perceive as being done against us, we may not lash out against an entire population of people. The Qur'an admonishes those who oppress others and transgress beyond the bounds of what is right and just. "The blame is only against those who oppress men with wrongdoing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land, defying right and justice. For such there will be a chastisement grievous" (42:42). Harming innocent bystanders, even in times of war, was forbidden by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). This includes women, children, noncombatant bystanders, and even trees and crops. Nothing is to be harmed unless the person or thing is actively engaged in an assault against Muslims. The predominant theme in the Qur'an is forgiveness and peace. Allah (God) is Merciful and Forgiving, and seeks that in His followers. Indeed, most people who spend time on a personal level with ordinary Muslims have found them to be peaceful, honest, hard-working, civic-minded people. Those who support the suicide bombings claim that it is merely a tactic of war. They see it as martyrdom, not suicide. In Israel, these attacks have usually been perpetrated by young men who have lived their entire lives under humiliating occupation. To them, it is a final act of power, stemming from desperation.Tuesday's attack was not desperate, and it was not random. This sort of cold, calculated attack cannot fall into any understandable category. There is no noble cause that could gain from this injustice, and no person of faith can defend it.Make no mistake: Muslims around the world have spoken out forcefully against this barbaric act, and thousands of Muslims are directly involved in the relief efforts. Indeed, there may very well be Muslims among the dead and wounded. We stand together with the world against this treachery.O ye who believe! Remain steadfast for Allah, bearing witness to justice. Do not allow your hatred for others make you swerve to wrongdoing and turn you away from justice. Deal justly; that is closer to true piety. - Surah al-Maidah (5:8)

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